Tape applying machine



May

A. A. ANDERSON 2,833,438 TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Filed July 18, 1955 fie. 2

United States Patent TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Arthur A. Anderson, Falcon Heights, Minn., assignor to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 18, 1955, Serial No. 522,547

2 Claims. (Cl. 216--33) This invention relates to amachine for holding a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape and for dispensing a length of tape from such roll onto an article to be sealed or marked, etc.

One embodiment of the invention, to be hereinafter particularly described, has special utility for applying a seal of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape about the neck of a bag. It will be apparent, however, as this description proceeds, that the same machine may be used for other sealing, holding or marking purposes (e. g., placement of strips of tape about cylindrical objects for identification, etc.) and that said machine can be adapted or modified for even more varied usage, Without departing from the inventive concept involved.

It is, of course, common practice to pack articles of produce (such as fruit, vegetables, etc.) as well as many other articles and objects, in bags most frequently made of plastic, mesh fabric or paper. The bags which have been developed for this purpose are sturdy, attractive, relatively inexpensive and provide means for meeting the current demand for pm-packaged" merchandise. However, the problem of quickly and easily sealing the bags, so that they will hold their content secure against the rough handling sometimes received in transit, etc., has not heretofore satisfactorily been solved.

One principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine whereby a tough, tenacious seal, of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, may be securely applied about the neck of a bag, or other object. Other objects of the invention are to provide a machine which may be operated without previous training on the part of the operator; which is susceptible of manufacture at low cost, and which is small enough, and inexpensive enough, so that relativelylarge numbers of such machines may be used in any one packaging plant.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as this description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevational view of the machine of this invention, with a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the forward end of the machine.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front view from line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view from line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Reference characters 2 and 2a designate generally parallel side members between which the principal operating parts of this invention are mounted. Said side members are affixed in upright position to base 3 and are held in face to face relationship by screws 3a extending between them. Each of said side members, at its trailing edge, is provided with an inclined slot 4. Tape roll 5, mounted on hub 6 having shaft 7, is rotatably suspended between said side members by lodgment of the projecting end portions of shaft 7 in slots 4. Said slots are inclined ice to permit the free end of tape on roll 5 to be drawn forwardly without displacement of said roll 5 from th machine.

Tape roll 5 is mounted in such manner that its adhesive coated surface will face upwardly as tape is unwound from the roll and drawn forwardly in the machine. Hub 6 may, if desired, be provided with ridges 8 to engage the inner circumference of roll 5 more firmly.

The inner face of each of said side members 2 and 2a is built up at area A to give each of said side members a thickness greater through that area than through areas B thereof. Said side members are spaced apart from each other at areas B, and are in face to face juxtaposition at area A.

Area A on each side member is provided with recess 9. Said recesses conform generally to the shape of resilient member 10 and surround the same. When members 2 and 2a are in face to face relationship, recesses 9 will then be in register, and resilient member 10 is then effectively held Within the pocket formed by said recesses.

Resilient member 10 comprises a fiat, unitary piece of flexible material mounted toggle fashion on side member 2 by pins 11 and 11a. Recesses 9 are formed with extensions 12 extending downwardly from their bottom edges. Coil spring 13, fitted with metal cap 14 is carried within extensions 12 and bears upwardlyagainst throat portion 12a of resilient member 10 to keep the same in the spread apart or open position shown by solid lines in Figure 3. The closed position of resilient member 10 is shown by dotted lines in Figure 3. I prefer that faces 18 and 18a (hereinafter referred to) on resilient member 10 extend substantially tangentially to point C on side member 2 when member 10 is in closed position.

The forward portion of each of members 2 and 2a is provided with a finger-like slot 15 which extends downwardly to a point below throat 12a on member 10. In use of the machine the bag or other object upon which tape is to be applied is thrust downwardly into slots 15.

In readying the device of this invention for use, the leading end of the strip of tape on roll 5 is passed (sticky side up) over roller 16, under roller 17 and then forwardly between side members 2 and 2a. In this position the tape strip will overlie slots 15. When it is desired to seal a bag, for example, the neck of the bag is twisted, and the operator thenholds the bag at substantially right angles to the machine. The bag neck is then pressed upon the tape strip overlying slots 15 and thence downwardly into said slots. Said bag neck, when thus being moved, will push the tape strip ahead of it into slots 15.

When the bag neck is pressed into contact with throat 12a of resilient member 10, said throat portion (and spring 13 underlying it) will be depressed, whereupon pressing faces 18 and 18a on member 10 will be brought together to press the two trailing ends of the tape strip into adhesive contact with each other to form a flag type seal about the neck of the bag.

When the bag neck is withdrawn from slots 15, spring 13, bearing against throat 12a, will again cause resilient member 10 to return to open position, for reception of another bag to be sealed.

After a sealed bag has been withdrawn from the machine, the tape about its neck is then severed from tape roll 5 by bringing said tape downwardly across cutting knife 19. Said cutting knife is mounted toward the forward end of the machine by screw 20; Knife 19 is formed with slot 21 so that it may be raised or lowered for greater or lesser cutting action.

Rubber strip 22 is mounted in position to extend partially over slots 15. Flexible tip 23 on said strip serves to urge one trailing end of the tape strip toward the other end thereof, as said strip is moved downwardly ahead of the bagbeing thrustinto slots 15. Saidrubber strip 22 is held in position by L-shaped metallic strip 24.

It is desirable that roller 17 be prevented from rotating in acounterclockwisedirection, and to prevent such rotation, I include metallic strip 25, keyed into apertures 26 of members 2 and 2a. Tip 27 of said strip rides upon corrugations 28in roller -17 when that roller moves in a clockwise direction. However, tip2'7 is wedged'between adjacent corrugations to prevent movement if said roller y '1. Tape applying apparatus comprising means for rotatably supporting a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, a resilient member adapted to apply a strip of tape from said roll peripherally about an article or cluster of articles to hold, mark or seal the same, and a housing for said resilient member, said resilient member being a fiat unitary piece having two end portions and a throat portion, each of said end portions being formed with a fiat pressing face, said throat portion connecting said end portions and lying below the said pressing faces thereon, "said resilient member being mounted toggle-fashion within said housing by rotatable affixation of each of said end portions to said housing, said form of mounting providing means whereby said resilient member may be caused, alternatively, to take an open position and a closed position, said pressing faces being spaced apart from each other and lying on upwardly diverging vertically inclined planes when said resilient member is in open position, said pressing faces being in vertically opposed juxtaposition when said resilient member is in closed position, said resilient member being caused to move from open to closed position by downward pressure exerted adjacent said throat portion, and being caused to move from closed to open position by upward pressure exerted adjacent said throat portion.

2. The tape applying apparatus of claim 1 in which the housing is provided with a finger-like slot extending downwardly from the top surface of the housing to a point below the throat portion of the resilient member, said slot being adapted to guide an article downwardly between the pressing faces of the resilient member and into contact with the throat portion thereof when said resilient member is in open position, said slot being narrower than the distance between the upper portions of said pressing faces when said resilient member is in open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

